The present invention relates generally to snowmobiles and more particularly to a suspension system that provides a controlled cushioned ride for riders of the snowmobile.
To compensate for the ruggedness of the terrain, a conventional suspension system for a snowmobile includes a pair of shock absorbers, and associated springs, for supporting the frame of the snowmobile. Such suspension system is usually not adjustable. Thus, if persons of different weights, or for that matter if more than one person, were to ride on the same snowmobile, the ride would become choppy and the steering of the snowmobile becomes less responsive. Such unresponsiveness in the steering and choppiness in the ride detract from the rider the pleasure of driving or riding a snowmobile.
The fact that the conventional suspension system of snowmobiles is unable to adjust on a real time basis means that a rider has to stop the snowmobile, turn off the engine for safety sake and manually adjust the stiffness or tension provided by the shock absorbers of the snowmobile, if indeed such shock absorbers were adjustable. But adjusting the conventional suspension system for one environment means that the rider has to readjust the suspension system when the snowmobile is ridden in a different environment, as the suspension system, once set, remains set at that tension or stiffness, until readjustment.
To provide a smooth or cushioned ride for a rider of the snowmobile and also the ability of the rider to adjust at any time the stiffness of the ride, at least one but most likely a plurality of fluid actuated devices are interposed between the body and the frame of the snowmobile. These fluid actuated devices could be hydraulic or gas driven cylinders controlled either manually by the rider or automatically by a feedback circuit.
For supplying fluidxe2x80x94which per the instant invention encompasses air, gas, hydraulic oil and other incompressible fluidsxe2x80x94to the fluid actuator devices, valve mechanisms which may include throttle valves and pressure regulators are used. To provide the necessary pressure, a compressor is used. The fluid is stored in one or more fluid containers or reservoirs, which are communicatively connected to the fluid actuator devices by fluid conduits. The throttle valves and pressure regulators provide the necessary regulation of the amount of fluid supplied to the fluid actuated devices. And depending on the kind of stiffness the rider desires, different amounts of fluid may be provided independently to each of the plurality of fluid actuated devices. The amount of fluid supplied to each of the fluid actuated cylinders can vary, as fluid compensation may vary for each of the cylinders.
The fact that the stiffness of each of the fluid actuated cylinders can be adjusted means that riders of different weights may each comfortably ride on the same snowmobile. And for those instances where there are more than one rider, the riding comfort of the snowmobile is not decreased insofar as the cushioning ability of the fluid actuated cylinders can be adjusted for the increased weight.
To free the rider the need to manually adjust the fluid actuated devices, a feedback circuit including a sensor and a processor may be used for obtaining the optimal cushioned ride for the rider. One way in which the optimal cushioned ride may be obtained is by the sensor monitoring the distance separating the slide tracks of the snowmobile which come into contact with the terrain and the body of the snowmobile which is mounted to a frame to which the slide tracks are coupled. By maintaining a given distance which could be ascertained empirically, and controlling the fluid actuated cylinders to raise or lower the body of the snowmobile relative to its frame or slide tracks, the optimal cushioned ride can be maintained.
The same type of fluid actuated cylinder could be used to connect the skis to the body of the snowmobile so that better controlled and more stabilized steering is achieved.
To provide yet better handling and control, the snowmobile of the instant invention is equipped with an anti-lock braking system (ABS).
It is therefore an objective of the present invention to provide a new and improved suspension system that gives a rider of a snowmobile an optimal cushioned ride.
It is yet another objective of the present invention to provide each rider of the instant invention snowmobile the ability to control the type of ride he desires, either manually or automatically.
It is yet another objective of the present invention to provide each rider of the instant invention snowmobile the ability to control the type of ride he desires, either manually or automatically.
It is moreover another objective of the present invention to provide a snowmobile with a controlled and stabilized steering system.
It is still another objective of the present invention to provide a snowmobile with improved handling abilities by equipping the same with an ABS brake system.